...and flowers inside

I was in town last Saturday and there was a market in the square.  I noticed a nice plant and flower stall and treated myself to some pink chrysanthemums (to me, chrysanthemums always have such an 'autumn' scent) and a little fern.  I popped the chrysanthemums in a vase once I got home and then Chris came back from the allotments with some beautiful jewel-toned dahlias from a fellow allotmenteer (thank you so much).  I ended up with a lovely display of autumn flowers.

Here are my pretty pink chrysanthemums...

...and here are the beautiful dahlias.

The colours are so sumptuous, aren't they? Pinks, apricots, oranges and deep reds.  I keep thinking that I should perhaps grow some dahlias next year, maybe...

The autumn leaves...and other autumn images in the garden

Last Saturday afternoon I went in the garden to prune some of my Climbing Roses.  I noticed that my first ever successful cuttings (of Nemesia Confetti) were still flowering away happily.  The photo above reminds me a bit of this...

(Image from  http://www.queenonline.com/music)

Anybody else see that? No? Just me then...  moving swiftly on...

Leaves are changing quickly now and the clematis Wyevale is turning a lovely yellow.

Hydrangea leaves are also showing shades of red.

Ginkgo Mariken is starting to turn yellow too.

A little splash of fuchsia pink from a cyclamen hederifolium which is really welcome amongst all the autumnal shades

The blueberries are just starting to change too but will become more fiery as the temperature drops.

Autumn stalwarts such as this aster Little Carlow are still in bloom.

My autumn fruiting raspberries are giving me a few berries ever now and again which I eat as I wander round the garden.  I need to repot them next year and look after them a bit better.

There are the most lovely blue skies to enjoy sometimes too...

...autumn sunshine is always appreciated.

Autumn soup recipe - sort of...

I have been asked for the roasted squash, pepper and sweet potato soup recipe.  Chris didn't use a recipe (unlike me who always has to follow a recipe), but here is a sort of recipe.

He roasted a squash, onion, peppers, tomatoes and garlic in the oven, until they were softened, having drizzled them with a little oil (or Frylight).  He then chopped up sweet potato and ordinary potato and added the roasted veg into a pressure cooker and added vegetable stock.  He let it cook for 5 minutes (this could all be boiled in a large pan for about 20 mins (that's the way I would have to do it, because pressure cookers scare me!).   As I am fussy (!) he then blitzed the soup down until smooth, although if you like chunky soup, you can leave the chunks in.  He probably added a little butter, some salt and pepper and some wine too.

It does taste lovely!  

Autumn food and gardening

There is a definite feel of autumn now.  Subtle changes such as darker mornings, cooler evenings and foliage starting to fall or change colour.  I have been enjoying comfort food this week and soups and rice pudding have featured.

Above is a delicious soup Chris made - roast squash, peppers and garlic, sweet potato and potato.  Really warming and gorgeous.  We have also had leek and potato soup which was also delicious.  Leek risotto has featured as has Yorkshire Sponge Parkin cake with the ginger and spice flavours.  I made my first rice pudding yesterday which tasted really good, but I need to work out how to get the rice and milk mixture incorporated better.
My autumn gardening has included planting my allium Globemaster bulbs which I bought from RHS Chatsworth and finally getting round to planting a replacement Winter Flowering Jasmine which has been in a pot for a year or so and which I hope will grow well now it has been released into the garden. I have also planted some foxgloves 'Foxy Hybrids' and 'Apricot' which I grew from seed so I am looking forward to seeing them grow too.

Colours of Autumn

Over the last few days, I have really noticed the leaf colours starting to change.  The blueberries (this one is Goldtraube) are the first to begin and they usually put on a beautiful show. (You can also see Hydrangea Confetti in the foreground and Hydrangea Annabelle in the background.)

Blueberry Northland is also joining in. 

I enjoy seeing the different shades of red of the leaves.

 Magnolia Susan is turning to a lovely buttery yellow.

Hydrangea Fireworks is also showing its autumn colours, adding pink and green to the white flowers.

This is what the flowers looked like back in the Summer.

Hydrangea Miss Saori is also showing off her autumn colours.

This is what her flowers looked like back in the summer.
It is definitely feeling colder now and I shall have to think about insulating all my pots again.  This is the one time of year I really wish I didn't have quite so many...

Autumn colours

On the last day of October, there are some lovely colours to be seen in the garden.  The star at the moment just has to be the blueberries - Goldtraube and Northland which has the most glorious autumnal shades in their leaves.

 Just beautiful.

 However, there are still the vestiges of summer too, as can be seen by geranium Rozanne...

...cosmos...

 ...and a clematis, Princess Diana.

Inside, Chris has been busy with his jam and chutney making and this beautiful orange-coloured jelly is made from crab apples, with a hint of lavender.

The lights just didn't do justice to the golden tones.  He is also making quince jam/jelly at the moment too.  Autumn colour is all around me at the moment!

Autumn Glow swap

I took part in Blueberry Heart's 'Autumn Glow swap' (it was my first blog swap last year and I enjoyed it so much that I was so pleased to be able to join in again!).  My swap partner was the lovely Blueberry Heart herself and we emailed each other to sort out the practical details and then got making and buying.  Her presents were wrapped in a beautiful gold leaf patterned paper - almost too pretty to unwrap...almost!

 Here's what she sent me.  A tea towel with a shortbread recipe, a vanilla scented candle, a dried cranberry heart, an autumn diary, a hand made pumpkin picture, a hand made leaf shaped pot holder, some chocs (which didn't last long), a hot chocolate fudge drink, and a clay pumpkin, which was fragile and had sadly got broken in transit.  (However, armed with glue, it is mended and hanging on the seasonal tree and looking lovely!)  What a lot of lovely things - many thanks to Blueberry Heart for being such a great swap partner!

Here's what I sent: felt heart and brooch, earrings, bracelet, a polymer clay key ring, some autumn coloured mini-bunting made from sari materials, some hot chocolate, a notebook and pens, some daffodil and tulip bulbs and a tea towel.
I loved being a part of this swap and am looking forward to taking part again next year.  I do think I need to make myself some mini-bunting now, amongst many other projects currently underway!

Contrasts in the garden

 The garden is slowly moving into autumn, though there is still some colour about.  The other morning, I put the bird food out and saw these amazing cobwebs covered in dew, so rushed back inside to get my camera before they disappeared.

 I think they would be most at home in Miss Havisham's garden.

Cobwebs are the most wonderful constructions and yet we can destroy them in seconds.  I must admit I don't much like walking face first into a cobweb - the strands do cling so much!

 Just to show that there is still colour about, here are some photos of Cosmos Sonata, grown from seed and one of my very few successes this season.  I wasn't sure where to plant them so shoved them into a pot in June.  They just sat there and sat there and grew foliage and grew taller, but no sign of any flowers.  Then, at the end of August, a few buds started to form and eventually, they opened.

 I only had six plants, but they have been beautiful

 This was the view last week before we had the frost.  I was convinced that they wouldn't survive and I would have to remove a soggy mass of plants.

 Here they are again, this morning.  They look a little battered, but are still hanging on.

Another view this morning.  I have been delighted by the vibrant colours and have ordered more seeds of this variety for next year.  I know that it is only a matter of time before the frost gets them, but until then, they continue to lift my spirits.

P.S Don't forget to enter my blog giveaway - closing date on Friday 2nd November.

September Plants

 It is certainly heading towards autumn now.  We have had some lovely sunny days but there is a chill, both in the mornings and once the sun has gone.  The plants feel it too and the autumn flowering plants are starting their display. Above is a New England aster (September Ruby?) with colours that echo the echinacea below.

 Helianthus Lemon Queen which is about six foot tall this year, with a background of beautiful blue sky.

A summer bedding snapdragon, with bigger and more open flowers than the usual ones.  It was a bargain plant and has flowered really well with its large primrose yellow flowers.

 Astrantia major had flowered earlier in June and hadn't done terribly well.  However, I cut it back and it has rewarded me with a second flowering.

 Another aster (Snowstorm?).

 The aforementioned echinacea purpurea 'The King', which was a relatively recent purchase, prompted by seeing the lovely echinacea at The Garden House, Saxby.

A lovely miscanthus sinensis 'Kleine Fontane', which has reddish flowers which open to fluffy seedheads.  I like the way the sun is shining through the leaves and flowers in this photo.  I'm pleased to say that there is still lots going on in the garden at the moment (and I planted some narcissus bulbs this week too).